Concrete Curbs

We will be installing concrete curbs in our subdivision entrance because so many cars and trucks drive off the road on the turn. Most of the damage is by garbage trucks and school busses. Question: should we use 5000psi concrete instead of 3000 psi concrete due to the expected contact of the trucks with the curbs?

lemme expand, then,,, brickie's correct in posting that all contracts specify certain approv'd mtls ( even by brand name ) that'd proven ( usually by astm tests ) acceptable, eg concrete mix design ( slump, wtr/cement ratio, compressive strength limits w/i stated time periods ),,, in public work, there generally are other substitutes allow'd than spec'd covered by the ' or approved equal ' phrase,,, we never had submittals rejected that increased performance in the final product to owners such as nj tpke, garden state pkwy, dot, city of newark, port authority, or counties.

If this a subdivision entrance off a public /country/municipal/county/state road?

If you there may be some other requirements. In some cases organizations (government & utilities) do not want over-designed/over-built improvements that interfere with access and maintenance. Often utilites (which can be very dense at a corner or intersection) can have a major effect on the best possible way to build.

I lived in a town in MI that had a requirement that there could be no reinforcement (fibermesh was weak and was acceptable) in a sidewalk or the driveway apron between the sidewalk and the street because of the difficulty of removing the concrete. Obviously, the curbs had to be done according to city standards, so they had an idea of what they might encouter id a cut or mantenance was required.

If you are in a freezing climate, a higher strength (4000 to 5000 psi) with air entrainement (4%-6%) would probably be required for durability. Reinforcement is a different animal becaue that could entail removing more concrete than necessary.